Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

 

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)

Eastern Kingbird [lateral view of adult]. Photograph Credit: Stephen J. Stedman; Barren County, Kentucky; 6 June 2017.

Abundance: Fairly Common during spring, summer, and early fall; recorded in all Regional counties (Map of UCR Distribution); the Regional breeding population is probably stable (see also Regional Bird-Monitoring Plan).

Status: Summer Resident; specimen (8 June 1938; Coopersville, Wayne County, Kentucky; W. M. Perrygo; Wetmore 1940); photograph (above).

Regional High Count and SBC/SBB High Count: 130 (10 May 2008; Putnam County, Tennessee [SBC]; m. ob); FBC/FBB High Count: 10 (15 September 2007; Putnam County, Tennessee [FBC]; m. ob.).

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Early Spring: 12 March 2004 (Warren County, Tennessee; N. P. "Mac" McWhirter; Casteel 2004c; eBird); next earliest: 18 March 2000 (Putnam County, Tennessee; Wally Brines, Sharon Brines; Stedman 20062013).

    Late Fall: 13 November 1990 (Pulaski County, Kentucky; Diane Elmore; Stamm and Monroe 1991a; Palmer-Ball 2003); next latest: 19 October 2002 (Warren County, Tennessee; Susan N. McWhirter; eBird).

    Note: Spring arrival usually widespread by 15 April; fall departure largely complete by 15 September.  Regional dates of earliest reported spring arrival and latest reported fall departure for the years 20022011 follow:

Year Early Spring Arrival Late Fall Departure
2002 7 April 19 October
2003 14 April 27 September
2004 12 March 9 October
2005 3 April 24 September
2006 11 April 3 October
2007 13 April 6 October
2008 10 April 20 September
2009 15 April 26 September
2010 10 April 25 September
2011 9 April 24 September

Breeding: Confirmed (Recent). A pair once built a nest on a power pole located right next to Willow Avenue, a rather heavily trafficked roadway, in Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee; this nest was about 2 blocks north of I-40 at a Shell Station; little vegetation was growing at this site.

Habitat: Open country with hedgerows, open parks or park-like suburban and even urban sites. Since at least 1988 a pair of this species has nested annually or almost annually in the trees adjacent to the tennes courts on the campus of Tennessee Tech University.

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: Registered on 15 (of 125) monthly check-lists during 2003 and on 44 (of 206) check-lists during 2004, leading to YardWatch frequency classifications of Uncommon and Fairly Common, respectively; the YardWatch frequency classification for 2003 indicates that this kingbird was a bit less commonly encountered in Regional yards and neighborhoods than in the Region as a whole during that year, while the YardWatch frequency classification for 2004 was consistent with the overall Regional abundance classification.

Foray Results: A summary of data from UCR Forays follows (to view a map displaying foray data for a county or a sub-Region for this species, click on the name of an underlined county or state below):

County Dates when Foray Conducted Total Blocks
in County *
Total Blocks in which
Eastern Kingbird
Recorded
Total Individuals
Recorded
         
Adair 816 June 2014 46 40 112
Barren 1–6 June 2013 54 53 308
Clinton 12–14 June 2009 24 21 86
Cumberland 1620 June 2014 35 30 67
McCreary 30 May5 Jun 2011 51 27 68
Metcalfe 812 June 2013 32 29 126
Monroe 1–12 June 2015 35 35 145
Pulaski 511 June 2010 72 58 179
Russell 1316, 2629 June 2012 31 26 99
Wayne 28 May3 June 2012 54 43 102
         
Kentucky   434 (408) 362 (83.4%) 1292
         
Bledsoe 1824 June 2012 48 38 95
Clay 12–15 June 2010 30 25 97
Cumberland 29 May4 June 2010 75 51 131
DeKalb 2326 May 2008 40 33 105
Fentress 1117 June 2012 55 34 82
Jackson 29 May1 Jun 2009 40 31 102
Macon 1722 June 2013 32 32 103
Morgan 1–8 June 2014 58 27 49
Overton 2329 May 2011 47 43 202
Pickett 2225 May 2009 24 15 46
Putnam 6–12 June 2011 46 44 197
Scott 924 June 2016 62 19 32
Smith 1525 June 2015 37 36 134
Van Buren 13–15 June 2011 33 23 107
Warren 1–10 June 2016 47 40 210
White 1–6 June 2015 50 38 138
         
Tennessee   724 (651) 529 (73.1%) 1830
         
Region   1158 (c. 1059) 891 (76.9%) 3122

* Because some foray blocks fall into two or three counties, the total of blocks in the Kentucky or Tennessee portions of the Region is less than the sum of the blocks in the counties of each portion of the Region; similarly, because some blocks fall into both states, the total of blocks for the Region is less than the sum of the blocks in the two states.

RemarksAlthough this flycatcher's diet is largely or completely composed of flying insects during its stay in the Region each year, it switches to a diet of fruit and berries while in its tropical winter quarters. Anyone lucky enough to find individuals of this species during March or October and November is advised to watch them carefully to see what they are foraging for.

Check-lists of Birds for the Counties of the UCR

Check-lists of the birds of each county of the Upper Cumberland Region may be viewed by clicking on the links below. For each county, there are two check-lists: one list that shows the species that have been observed and where possible documented in the county within the larger list for the entire Region; and one list that includes only the species observed in the county with annotations for the date and observers for at least one sighting (the ultimate goal of the latter list will be to include annotations for the very first known Regional observation of each species in that county; this goal is probably one that will take many years to complete, if completion is even a possibility). To see if the species discussed in this species account has been observed in a county, click below or click on the link for the Map of UCR Distribution near the top of the page.

Barren Metcalfe Adair Russell Pulaski
Monroe Cumberland Clinton Wayne McCreary
Macon Clay Pickett Fentress Scott
Smith Jackson Overton Putnam Morgan
DeKalb White Cumberland
Warren Van Buren Bledsoe

Check-lists of Birds for Some Public Access Birding Sites of the UCR

Check-lists of the birds of some public access birding sites within the Upper Cumberland Region may be viewed via the links below. To see if the species dealt with in this species account has been observed within any of these sites, click on the appropriate link below. See the pages for each county within the Gazetteer for links to additional smaller public access birding sites with check-lists in progress.

Burgess Falls SP, Putnam/White Counties, TN Barren River Lake SP, Barren County, KY
Cumberland Mountain SP, Cumberland County, TN General Burnside Island SP, Pulaski County, KY
Edgar Evins SP, DeKalb County, TN  
Fall Creek Falls SP, Bledsoe/Van Buren Counties, TN Pulaski County Park, Pulaski County, KY
Frozen Head SNA, Morgan County, TN Waitsboro Recreation Area, Pulaski County, KY
Rock Island SP, Warren/White Counties, TN  
Standing Stone SP, Overton County, TN Big South Fork NRRA, KY and TN
   
Cane Creek Park, Putnam County, TN  
Roaring River Recreation Area, Jackson County, TN  

Literature Cited